In 1958, the process of canonization began for Josephine under Pope John XXIII. Continue reading about St. Josephine Bakhita St. Josephine Bakhita St. Josephine Vannini For her arrival in Italy, there had been no need for a passport. Saint Josephine Bakhita was born to a wealthy family in Sudan in 1869. The consul was her guarantee. If you have already donated, we sincerely thank you. Death: February 8, 1947. She was kidnapped as a child and sold into slavery, eventually working in Italy as a nanny for a wealthy family. Shop St. Josephine Bakhita. In 2018, we published the testimonies of those who actually knew Mother Bakhita. Josephine Bakhita (c. 1869 - 8 February 1947) was a Sudanese-born former slave who became a Roman Catholic Canossian nun in Italy, living and working there for 45 years. Saint Josephine Bakhita- Patron Saint of Human Trafficking What did she do while she was ministering She ministered as a cook, seamstress, sacristan, and doorkeeper, living simply and lovingly. Josephine Bakhita - Wikipedia Her trauma was so great that she forgot her birth name and her kidnappers gave her the name Bakhita which means fortunate. What happened to the Catholic Knights Hospitaller? Federal Tax Identification Number: 81-0596847. This caused the superior of the institute for baptismal candidates among the sisters to complain to Italian authorities on Josephine's behalf. The choice of her freedom implied a priority of affection, which made her decide not to lose what remains forever; hers was the wisdom of the small and pure of heart who see God. In 1902 she was assigned to the Canossian convent at Schio, in the northern Italian province of Vicenza, where she spent the rest of her life. Where would she be taken? Copyright 2022 Catholic Online. Help all survivors find healing from their wounds. She was often beaten and kicked and whipped. In the extremity of her last hours, her mind was driven back to her youth in slavery and she cried out: "The chains are too tight, loosen them a little, please!" Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a24650c9343008eb8a6585a97221ebfb" );document.getElementById("c8429a34be").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Josephine Bakhita was born around 1869 in Sudan. She was known for her gentle voice and smile. What St. Josephine Bakhita's story taught me about suffering Some of the testimonies collected were written by those who had known her in the family, for having received graces from her, for having heard about her from friends. What is it that enslaves you? Birth: 1869. She was surrounded by a loving family of three brothers and three sisters; as she says in her autobiography: "I lived a very happy and carefree life, without knowing what suffering was".[5]. Hi readers, it seems you use Catholic Online a lot; that's great! Bulk Subscription, About On the advice of their business agent Illuminato Cecchini, on 29 November 1888, Michieli left both in the care of the Canossian Sisters in Venice. The map of Sudan here shows the village of Olgossa (. Pope John Paul II canonized Josephine Bakhita in 2000. ADVENTURES: Many weeks after being kidnapped, Bakhita found herself at a slave market, chained to another girl her age. After a long and dangerous journey across Sudan, the Red Sea, and the Mediterranean, they arrived in Italy. 5 things the Catholic woman should keep in her purse, St. Marculf: Saint of the Day for Monday, May 01, 2023, To Saint Peregrine: Prayer of the Day for Monday, May 01, 2023. She was beatified on 17 May 1992 and canonized on 1 October 2000. She even received a new name at her baptism: Josephine Margaret Bakhita. Saint Josephine Margaret Bakhita was born around 1869 in the village of Olgossa in the Darfur region of Sudan . Mother Josephine Bakhita was born in Sudan in 1869 and died in Schio (Vicenza) in 1947. Saint Josephine Margaret Bakhita was born around 1869 in the village of Olgossa in the Darfur region of Sudan. [25], Bakhita's legacy is that transformation is possible through suffering. She also received the sacraments of her first holy communion and confirmation on the same day. She was given to people she did not know, albeit with the promise of good treatment, but as she left Genoa her heart was in turmoil. The Archbishop who gave her the sacraments was none other than Giusseppe Sarto, the Cardinal Patriarch of Venice, who would later become Pope Pius X. Josephine became a novice with the CanossianDaughters of Charity religious order on December 7, 1893, and took her final vows on December 8, 1896. Something maybe not as well-known about St. Josephine Bakhita is that her body was scarred all over. Saint Bakhita lived long ago. Watch Two Suitcases: The Story of St. Josephine Bakhita, available to stream or on DVD from Amazon. After the years of trauma that she endured, she did not remember the name her parents had given her and went by Bakhita from then on. Ida Zanolini, in Positio, p. 113 233). She became a Canossian nun in December 1896 and remained at the convent for another 42 years. Her mistress spent three days trying to persuade her to leave the sisters, but Josephine remained steadfast. The little girl had never worn a dress until the day two scowling men appeared in the fields, blocking her path and holding a knife to her side, kidnapping her much as one might snatch a hen from its coop. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Canonized: October 1, 2000. For the next 42 years of her life, she worked as a cook and a doorkeeper at the convent. For the next 12 years she would be bought, sold and given away over a dozen times. [6][7][8] She was also forcibly converted to Islam. Beatified: May 17, 1992 Zanini, Roberto Italo (2013). Various testimonies have depicted her freely giving thanks, in order to free every creature, to educate to self-giving until death. (ca. Customer Service:cservice @franciscanmedia.org, Technical Questions:support @franciscanmedia.org, Writers GuidelinesPrivacy PolicyPost a Prayer RequestDonor Portal. Vatican City, Feb 3, 2022 / 10:15 am (CNA). For 10 years, this inheritance has been taken up by the Bakhita Committee which has now become an Association in order to continue the caring work that today Bakhita would have liked to carry out for her own people. Towards the end of her testimony at the canonization process, where she recounted her meetings with Mother Bakhita which inspired her first biography entitled Storia meravigliosa(Tale of Wonder) in 1931, she said: When I wrote the story of Bakhita I scrupulously followed the accounts and considerations that Mother Bakhita had told me in Venice. Saint Josephine, Bakhita, c. 1868-1947 | Loyola Press Also known as: Josephine Margaret Bakhita, Mother Josephine Bakhita. When visited and asked how she was, shed respond: "As the Master desires.". It was during this time that she was introduced to formal religion and came to know the Daughters of Charity of Canossa, or the Canossian Sisters. LIVED: Bakhita was born in 1869 in Sudan. Bakhita Charities for Southern Africa, Inc. 2014 by Bakhita Charities Created with wix.com, 2014 by Bakhita Charities Created with w. A bronze sculpture of Saint Josephine Bakhita, patron of trafficking victims, will be installed in the Vatican. Five interesting facts about St. Josephine Bakhita is she was a former slave who became a Canossian Religious sister in Italy. She was sold not just once, but multiple times. She and other enslaved women were forced to undergo a traditional Sudanese practice that left her permanently scarred with 114 patterns cut into her skin and rubbed with salt and flour. According to Josephine, she had always known about God, who created all things, but she did not know who He was. ATIs tools are designed to ensure that your efforts deliver effective results. The choices of love experienced by Bakhita first freed her, giving her the taste of comfort regarding her lost sisters, finding herself in a situation of unprecedented possibilities with regard to her loved ones. Caritas Bakhita House in London, which provides accommodation and support for women escaping human trafficking, is named in her honour. She is a shining ray of hope for human trafficking victims and an inspirational demonstration of how a victim can recover from their trauma and become whole again. 2) The name 'Bakhita' was given to her by her ensalver, it means "lucky" or "fortunate". During the war, because of her colour, she was also mistaken for being a spy, but she did not get upset, she accompanied those who wanted to arrest her to where she lived and, showing them the window in her room, explained that since her arrival in Italy she had received the gift of vocation. Under their care, Josephine was drawn to the Roman Catholic Church. She became a novice at the Institute of St. Magdalene of Canossa on December 7, 1893, and took her final vows in 1896. And the shining figure in the night? During her 42 years in Schio, Bakhita was employed as the cook, sacristan, and portress (doorkeeper) and was in frequent contact with the local community. Since the villa in Zianigo was already sold, Bakhita and Mimmina needed a temporary place to stay while Micheli went to Sudan without them. Today, we humbly ask you to defend Catholic Online's independence. *Director of the archives of the Shrine of Saint Josephme Bakhita in Schio, LOsservatore Romano14 February 2020, page 8, EWTN | 5817 Old Leeds Rd. [28], Josephine Margaret Bakhita is honored with a Lesser Feast on the liturgical calendar of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America,[1] also on 8 February.[29]. On the same day, she was also confirmed and received Holy Communion from Archbishop Giuseppe Sarto, the Cardinal Patriarch of Venice and later Pope Pius X. Death: February 8, 1947. She passed away on February 8, 1947. She was tattooed with 114 deep cuts, which were filled with salt so that the design formed by the lip ofher scars remained; marks which remained white and stood out on her very black skin; the children, towhom she told her story, who are now elderly, still remember them. What happened to the Catholic Knights Hospitaller? [18] For the first time in her life, Bakhita found herself in control of her own destiny, and she chose to remain with the Canossians.

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